Department of Justice

Upper Marlboro Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Mahdi Lawson, age 27, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a gun; possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search at Lawson’s residence in Upper Marlboro and recovered a black semi-automatic handgun from a backpack in the living room, marijuana and crack cocaine from the bathroom and MDMA (ecstasy) from an organizer next to the bed in the basement. Lawson admitted that the handgun and drugs recovered from the residence belonged to him and that he had carried the firearm to conduct a drug transaction. Lawson had several previous felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Deborah A. Johnston and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan, who prosecuted the case.